It was a moment of tense suspense. But it was not Crann's policy to tantalize him further, however much the process might address itself to his peculiar interpretation of pleasure. "That thar pay agent o' the mining company," he explained, "he hed some sort'n comical name--oh, I remember now, Renfrow--Paul Renfrow--waal--ye know he war shot in the knee when the miners way-laid him." "I disremember now ef it war in the knee or the thigh," Swofford interposed, heavily pondering. Kinnicutt's brow contracted angrily, and Crann broke into open wrath: "an' I ain't carin', ye fool--what d' ye interrupt fur like that?" "Wall," protested Swofford, indignantly, "ye said 'ye know' an' I didn't _know_." "An' I ain't carin'--the main p'int war that he could neither ride nor walk. So the critter crawled! Nobody knows how he gin the strikers the slip, but he got through ter old man Byars's house. An' thar he staid till Loralindy an' the old 'oman Byars nussed him up so ez he could bear the pain o' bein' moved. An' he got old man Byars ter wagin him down ter Colb'ry, a-layin' on two feather beds 'count o' the rocky roads, an' thar he got on the steam kyars an' he rid on them back ter whar he kem from." Kinnicutt seemed unable to longer restrain his impatience. He advanced a pace. "Ye appear ter 'low ez ye air tellin' news--I knowed all that whenst it happened a full year ago!" "I reckon ye know, too, ez Loralindy hed no eyes nor ears fur ennybody else whilst he war hyar--but then _he war_ good-lookin' an' saaft-spoken fur true! An' now he hev writ a letter ter her!" Crann grinned as Kinnicutt inadvertently gasped. "How do you uns know that!" the young man hoarsely demanded, with a challenging accent of doubt, yet prescient despair. "'Kase, bubby, that's the way the story 'bout the lily got out. I was at the mill this actial day. The miller hed got the letter--hevin' been ter the post-office at the Crossroads--an' he read it ter her, bein' ez Loralindy can't read writin'. She warn't expectin' it. He writ of his own accord." A sense of shadows impended vaguely over all the illuminated world, and now and again a flicker of wings through the upper atmosphere betokened the flight of homing birds. Crann gazed about him absently while he permitted the statement he had made to sink deep into the jealous, shrinking heart of the young mountaineer, and he repeated it as he resumed.